“Red line” was getting cliched. Now clocks tick. Later, they’ll try “one shoe has already dropped” or “our patience is getting even thinner.” As language loses its meaning, insincerity abounds. Can’t remember the poet who said that, or the exact words, so I’ve paraphrased.
It’s one of those quartz clocks. They can tick for a LONG time.
Unfortunately, the ticking clock is a cuckoo clock.